About the Film

The documentary Waking In Oak Creek profiles a suburban town rocked by hate after six worshippers at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin are killed by a white supremacist. In the year following the attack, the mayor and police chief lead the community as they forge new bonds with their Sikh neighbors. Young temple members and a police lieutenant, shot 17 times in the attack, inspire thousands to gather for events and honor the victims. After one of the deadliest hate crime attacks in recent U.S. history, the film highlights a community and law enforcement working together to overcome tragedy, stand up to hate, and create a safe town for all.

The film was produced in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice COPS Office as part of the Not In Our Town: Working Together for Safe, Inclusive Communities Initiative.

Documentary - 34 minutes

Three Strategies for using Waking in Oak Creek in Your Community

1. Provide a Focus for Agency Trainings & Community Dialogues

Bring Waking in Oak Creek to your police department to:

• Facilitate internal agency conversations and trainings addressing accurate hate crime reporting; strong response to hate crimes; and the need to build bridges with diverse groups in the community; or

• Engage residents and community partners in a dialogue about hate crime prevention and response.

Click here to request the Waking in Oak Creek DVD

Click here to request the Law Enforcement Guide for Waking in Oak Creek

2. Participate in the National Law Enforcement Network

Waking in Oak Creek is the first of five films produced by Not In Our Town and the COPS Office to help law enforcement raise the bar on hate crime prevention.

Join the National Law Enforcement Network to share best practices, engage in solutions, promote dialogue among diverse groups in the community, and help develop a Hate Crimes Task Force.

Join today. 

3. Organize a city-wide Not In Our Town campaign

Start a local movement to end hatred and intolerance in your town. Download the Not In Our Town Quickstart guide here. 

Core steps for starting a Not In Our Town campaign:

• Map Out Your Allies

• Convene a Meeting to Launch Efforts

• Identify Issues of Highest Concern

• Make Your Values Visible

• Analyze Success

Resources

Later this summer, a complete Law Enforcement Discussion Guide for the film will be available for free download on this page. In the mean time, these resources will help you organize and lead a productive agency training or community dialogue:

• Waking in Oak Creek Guide for Community Screenings

• Oak Creek Police Department's Guiding Principles for Engaging the Community

• Waking in Oak Creek Press Kit